Courage
by hinksay
Summary: To abandon your duty is not courageous. Below the courageous, there's nothing. Team Yondaime, pregaiden. Oneshot.


**Courage**

Today, as always, Team Yellow Flash met at nine in the morning at the usual place. As always, Obito was late. Thirty minutes late. Kakashi, who had been pointing out Obito's lateness for the last few months since their teaming up, just shook his head. At least he was a little flexible when they didn't have missions. They walked towards the river that was to the south of the training field.

"Okay. Today it's gonna be water-walking training. Let's warm-up first!" The blonde jounin grinned and started to stretch.

"Sensei, we did that three years ago." Kakashi reminded him.

"Yes, I know, Kakashi, but Obito and Rin need to learn that as well." The Yellow Flash lifted his arms above his head and stood on his toes, stretching his whole body. "You can help them." He grinned.

Sighing, Kakashi stretched too. His sensei explained to his teammates how to gather chakra. As Kakashi had expected, Obito fell in the water right away. He smirked. Rin's knees and the tips of her apron got wet when she stepped in. Kakashi crossed his arms across his chest and watched how his teammates did it.

When the Yellow Flash saw his two genin students failing at their first attempts, and his chuunin student so confident, a brilliant idea struck his mind. When the Yellow Flash had a brilliant idea it usually meant more trouble for his students. Especially Kakashi.

"Well, it looks like you guys will have to take some time. From this point on, Kakashi, you will be teaching Obito and Rin how to walk on water." Kakashi's eyes widened. As though reading his student's mind he added, "Because you need to practice your leadership skills. Yep, you definitely do. And, of course, because_ I _say so. I'll be back by lunch time, and I expect to see all three of you walking on water. Good luck." Leaving a few yellow sparks, he disappeared. Well, he actually _fled_ before the accusations could land on him.

Kakashi crossed his arms and looked at both his teammates. They looked back at him. Actually, Obito almost looked down on him since he was a little shorter. Rin was smiling sheepishly. All kinds of curses - the limited amount of curses he actually knew - went through Kakashi's mind.

"Try again." Kakashi said after a few seconds of silence. The results were the same as the first time.

"Kakashi-kun, could you show us how to do it?" Rin asked after stepping on grass. Obito was still in the water. Kakashi realized that their _so_ perfect and nice sensei hadn't even bothered to show them how to do it.

Kakashi stepped in. Everything was okay until Obito started splashing water. The movement of the water made it hard for Kakashi to stand on it, so he jumped to the grass before he would get wet. Kakashi glared at Obito with narrowed eyes.

"Sorry about that, Kakashi! I was trying to get out, but I couldn't reach the surface. It's so deep." He laughed lightly as he got out from the river.

"The river is _not_ deep." Kakashi snapped. He remembered a time when he had been pushed in there. By no other than his sensei.

"It _is_!"

"Whatever you think deep means, it's not what this river is."

"Jeez! Why are you so cold-hearted, Kakashi!" Obito wringed out the water from his jacket.

"That's what you need to be a shinobi."

"That's not true. Even if it is, that's not right!" Kakashi ignored him and headed towards Rin.

"Rin, I'll teach you how to do it. You can later help that cry-baby over there."

"Kakashi-kun..." Rin wanted to convince him to help Obito as well, but she knew there was no point. Kakashi showed it to her once more, and asked her to try it again. This time the water only reached her ankles.

"Put a little bit more of chakra, Rin." Kakashi held Rin's elbow so that she wouldn't shake as much. "I knew you would master it soon. Being a medic-nin... Just make sure you relax." Rin blushed a little, and nodded.

"Thanks..." Rin smiled sheepisly.

"Oi! I want to learn, too!" Obito took off his jacket and ran towards them.

Unfortunately, when got close to the riverbank, he kicked a stone that was fixed to the ground, and he flew straight towards Kakashi. Kakashi would have been able to avoid being swept by his teammate, but he just didn't see something like that coming.

As a result, both boys were soaked. One was much more unhappy than the other. As soon as Kakashi got out, he headed to the gates to get out of that place at once. Rin watched with worried eyes as her teammate left the training ground, and wondered what sensei would think about it. She knew too well to even try to stop the chuunin. Obito, soaked for the third time without improving even a bit, sighed.

"I'm sorry, Rin-chan..."

"Don't worry about me, Obito. Hopefully Kakashi will be back. I will help you while he's gone." Rin smiled at her wet teammate. Obito's face brightened a little.

Kakashi was heading nowhere. He just wanted to be far from his team. What he didn't expect was his sensei stopping him right in front of the gates.

"Where are you going, Kakashi?" His sensei asked calmly. He had seen everything. Kakashi looked away and didn't answer.

"Kakashi-kun, to abandon your duty is not courageous. What I have asked you to do for your teammates isn't even a hard duty, is it? I personally think that below the courageous, there's nothing. What will that make you into?" He was neither smiling nor trying to hide his disappointment.

"..." Kakashi looked up to his sensei. For the millionth time since he had met his team, he didn't want to say all the things that went through his mind.

"I would like to see what you're capable of, Kakashi-kun. As a responsible and dutiful shinobi of Konoha." Finishing his mini lecture, the jounin disappeared once again. Kakashi looked blankly at the spot where his sensei had stood seconds ago.

The young chuunin stood like that for a few minutes. His wet clothes were getting colder and colder. After taking off his sweatshirt, Kakashi walked back in the same way he had come. It wasn't really a hard mission. He had to endure whatever it took to accomplish his duty, didn't he?

"Yesss! Look at this, Rin!" Obito cried out loud. The water reached his knees.

"Good, Obito!" Rin gave him a thumbs up.

"Ha! That Kakashi bastard... See? I can do it without his help!" Obito made a victory sign.

"Oh._ Really_?" The sudden voice startled Obito, making him lose control of his hardly gathered chakra.

"Kakashi-kun!" Rin called out. She was standing on water, perfectly still.

Kakashi had appeared behind Obito's back. He smirked. _'Puwha!' _Obito looked up at Kakashi.

"What did you come back for!"

"To _teach_ you what you don't know how to do. Try again."

Grudgingly, Obito did so.

"More..." Kakashi muttered. "More... more chakra, Obito. Don't stop the flow. Make the flow of the chakra _consistent_."

After about an hour, Obito could stand on water. Rin was walking around easily. They still had time for their sensei to come back.

"Well. Now you have to walk."

"This is easy! Heh." Obito walked towards Rin, who was sitting at the riverbank. Kakashi walked towards the riverbank as well.

"You're good, Obito!" Rin smiled gently. She stood up to practice a little bit more.

Kakashi reached the closest tree slowly and let himself drop down. It had been a long day.

The Yellow Flash appeared as soon as Kakashi closed his eyes.

"Nn. Looks like everything went alright?" He asked Rin. She nodded happily.

"Look at this, sensei!" Obito jumped to the river and stood on it magnificiently.

"Although it took a great amount of time... " Kakashi added from his place.

"Well, yeah, I gave you plenty of time. Hn. Aren't you guys hungry? Let's go. My treat!" He smiled.

Obito yanked at his sensei's neck and grinned.

"Ramen?" The boy asked.

"Of course! What else?" Their sensei laughed. "Come on, Kakashi! We're leaving!"

Kakashi stood up slowly and he led the way. The other three talked about how the exercise had gone. The Yellow Flash thought that it had turned out pretty well - no fights, no injuries, nothing bad. Seemingly, Kakashi wasn't bothered as much as when he had tried to leave the training field; meaning that he had understood well what his sensei had told him.

As they headed to the ramen place, Kakashi heard the annoying giggles of his team from behind. When he couldn't take it anymore he turned around and asked what was so funny.

"Nothing, Kakashi-kun." His sensei smiled guiltily.

"Yeah, it's nothing." Obito exchanged a glare with his sensei. "Your hair is just a little _too_ messy..." Obito chuckled. "You look like you had been electrocuted, you know."

Even if Kakashi was infuriated by how Obito _mentioned_ his current look, he didn't show it. There were worse days, after all. And he wasn't the only one. When they arrived, Obito's hair was pretty much the same as Kakashi's.

* * *

A/N:

I updated! Yay! I'm working on chapter 16 of "How he became the person he is". I'm writing this to just let people know that I'm still writing! Inspired from Kakashi's quotes during the mission at Wave Country.

_"To abandon your duty is not courageous. Below the courageous, there's nothing."_

Hope you liked it!


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